Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the new integrated school support programme will be introduced; when she will announce which schools will be included in the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32806/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, which will be introduced on a phased basis starting during the current school year, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people, from pre-school to completion of upper second level education — three to 18 years — from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The new plan is the outcome of the first full review of all programmes for tackling educational disadvantage that have been put in place over the past 20 years and it will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the creation of about 300 additional posts across the education system generally.

A key element of this new action plan is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second level schools, which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. As a result of the identification process, approximately 600 primary schools, comprising 300 urban-town and 300 rural, and 150 second level schools will be included in a new school support programme, SSP. It is anticipated that the identification process will be completed by the end of the year.

The action plan addresses all the following key issues and needs: improving identification of disadvantage — a standardised approach will allow my Department to target resources more effectively; increasing early childhood education provision in the most disadvantaged communities; improving supports for pupils with low attainment levels in literacy and numeracy; enhancing procedures for measuring the outcomes achieved from educational inclusion measures; enhancing integration and partnership working, both within the education sector itself and cross-sectorally; enhancing professional development supports for principals and school staff; and enhancing research and evaluation.